Premier urges communities to play greater role as KZN launches schools safety plan
Mr Sihle Zikalala, the Premier of the KwaZulu-Natal province has made an impassioned plea to parents and communities to actively participate in promoting safety in schools.
Speaking during the launch of KwaZulu-Natal’s schools safety plan in the eThekwini Metro today, Mr Zikalala said parents and communities were ideally positioned act as the first line of defense against criminal elements intent on penetrating the education system.
Because of their proximity to schools, the Premier said, local communities should take a keener interest in safety and proactively work towards making schools violence and drugs free zones.
“The success of this initiative will depend on the collective efforts of parents and the community to work together with schools to ensure that they become safe havens and environments conducive to teaching and learning. Our children cannot possibly be expected to excel academically and become upright citizens in future if we do not get these basics right."
The Premier added that the schools safety programme, led by the MEC for Education, Mr Kwazi Mshengu, had been crafted because the provincial government considered the safety of learners and educators to be an apex priority.
“We are putting our foot down and saying there is simply no place for violence, drugs, sexual harassment and other illegal activities in our schools!
These vices pose a real and direct threat to learning and have the potential to deprive learners of their inherent constitutional right to life, education, equality and dignity."
As part of the schools safety plan launched, 3000 newly appointed Schools Safety Volunteers will be deployed at various schools throughout the province and the Schools Safety Committees will be established.
The volunteers compliment the 2976 security officers who are already deployed at various schools throughout the province.
The schools will also be provided with perimeter security fencing which has entry and exit gates.
“We commend the department of Education led by MEC Mshengu for developing this programme. We are confident that it will help us to make our schools safe.
The plan will produce the desired results if communities, businesses; religious and traditional communities take full ownership of all schools in our province as their precious and valuable assets,” concluded Premier Zikalala.
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